Vladimir Putin’s Russia has defied threats from the West to attack Ukraine by bombing military targets inside the country. According to many experts, this could lead to World War 3 given that Ukraine has found support from many Western countries such as the US and UK.
According to the BBC, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a pre-dawn statement that his country did not plan to occupy Ukraine. He demanded that Ukraine’s military lay down their arms.
According to the authorities in Ukraine, at least 40 people have been killed in the military strike by Russia.
Russia’s military is reported to have breached the Ukrainian border at a number of places, in the north, south and east, including from Belarus, a long-time Russian ally. Russia has invaded Ukraine through land, air and sea.
The Ukrainian military claimed it had shot down at least six Russian aircraft and lost at least 40 of its troops.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted, “I am appalled by the horrific events in Ukraine and I have spoken to President Zelenskyy to discuss next steps. President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine. The UK and our allies will respond decisively.”
Johnson said in a televised address that Russia had attacked the ‘democracy throughout the world.’ “We will of course do everything to keep our country safe,” he said.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that Russia had launched a “cold-blooded”, long-planned invasion on Ukraine. He said, “An attack on one will be regarded as an attack on all.”
The decision to invade Ukraine through land, air and seas by Russia came days after Putin took an extremely provocative measure to announce that he was recognising two breakaway rebel republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in east Ukraine.